Restaurants near Downieville Guard Station

Wonderful menu, great drinks and food. Always the best service as well.

Our server was Martine and he couldn’t have been more delightful! The food was great, a tad on the expensive side but you pay extra for the ambiance. There was a live band who was playing hits and so much fun. Great, strong drinks. We will always come back here!

One of the best values in Nevada City. Service was prompt and excellent from beginning to end. Prices were about 10-15% higher than the menu posted on their website, but I've learned to expect that. We shared a Ceasar Salad ($16)(our server asked if we wanted it with or without anchovies) and the fondue for two ($49). It was plenty, and delicious. The wines were pricy, at $12-18/glass. I chose the lower priced Chardonnay ($14) but found myself wishing for something a bit more dry to counter the fondue cheese. The bill came to $100; we added a $25 tip. Note: We had requested a seat in a quiet area, but upon arriving we heard live music so decided to sit on that side. Not a good choice, as we couldn't see the band, but it still made conversation difficult. That is considered the "bar area", long and narrow, so there is very little dinner seating within view of the stage. Oh, well, live and learn.

We were a party of seven adults and six children (under the age of 11). Everyone from the youngest to the oldest was very pleased with their meal choices. We all agreed everything was delicious and extremely flavorful. 

Our meal for four at the Dining Room @ Village Lodge was very good. The setting is beautiful, the service friendly and professional, and the food was solid-some terrific, some disappointing. The dining room is quiet, relaxed, and friendly. Our pretty table looking out on the snow was pretty and comfortable. We ordered cocktails while looking over the menu, and it took a while to deliver from the bar. In the mean time, home made incredible Parker rolls and a tasty amuse bouche from the chef arrived. Salads were fresh and terrific - one baby lettuce, and one chicory. Our three appetizers - hamachi crudo, scallops, and octopus- were worthy, especially the crudo and octopus (tender, with charred edges). All fantastic so far. The entrees were slightly disappointing. Fresh California halibut was fine but so overcooked that it was dry and tough, too bad! The risotto was a bit bland and starchy, probably because the flavoring ingredient was pumpkin. Mushrooms, asparagus, or other veggie would have been less novel but tastier bases. We asked for parmesan, which our server brought quickly with no complaint. Last, we got the duck breast, which was advertised as "confit" but was more like a regular duck breast (I am used to duck confit as the leg slow-cooked and tender, so may not understand what "confit" means with breast). Anyway, the duck was solid. We did not try the Brick Chicken or fresh sugo pasta, but neighboring diners commented favorably about them. We skipped the $95 australian wagyu steak. On a menu where other entrees are $30-$50, a $95 steak stuck out. And from 10,000 miles away? A $60 California or Nebraska steak would have been snapped up. The high price and superrich flavor of wagyu didn't excite us. Overall a good meal. More simple California comfort dishes would be better for us. The wine list is an "A" by the way. Short and with many excellent whites and reds for normal restaurant prices (and a few over the top prices).